The Workforce Handbook
Solving the nurse staffing crisis at the root.
A holistic, field-tested playbook for building a flexible healthcare workforce — from foundation and operations to innovative programs and AI.
Workforce Flexibility
What flexible work means to nurses and leaders, the scheduling vs. staffing distinction, and how AI enables workforce flexibility at scale.
8 min read Chapter 2Organizational Assessment & Design
Assessing scheduling and staffing structure, policies, dedicated teams, shared governance, and AI readiness for optimal workforce flexibility.
10 min read Chapter 3Staffing & Scheduling Models
Centralized, decentralized, and hybrid models — advantages, drawbacks, and principles for choosing the right fit.
9 min read Chapter 4Workforce System Technology
Building a workforce technology ecosystem — from HRIS to AI-powered scheduling systems — and evaluating AI capabilities.
8 min readRaising the Pillars
Core principles for operationalizing flexibility: team approach, policies, cross-training, education, goals, and starting small.
7 min read Chapter 2Scheduling, Staffing & Incentive Programs
Scheduling flexibility, staffing corrections, building a proactive tiered incentive program, and AI-powered dynamic pricing.
12 min read Chapter 3Vendor Management & Credentialing
VMS technology, AI-powered credentialing, vendor performance scoring, and the vendor management lifecycle.
15 min readInternal Travel Agency
Building an internal travel agency in four steps — from setting the stage to operationalizing the plan — with AI-powered matching, ROI models, and checklists.
14 min read Chapter 2Gig Nurse Programs
Primary and secondary gig nursing positions — AI-powered shift marketplaces, flexibility for nurses, coverage for organizations.
8 min read Chapter 3More Innovative Flexible Work Options
Weekend programs, resource nurses, telehealth models, career pathways, and mentor/preceptor programs for workforce flexibility.
7 min read Chapter 4External Travel & Per Diem Nurses
Managing external travel nurse assignments and per diem programs to maximize flexibility and minimize costs.
5 min readAI in Scheduling & Staffing
AI in nurse scheduling and staffing — the structural staffing gap, the scheduling lifecycle, dynamic pricing, and intelligent workforce orchestration.
15 min read Chapter 2Forecasting
The forecasting process, barriers to effective forecasting, and strategies for data-driven workforce management.
9 min read Chapter 3Auto-Balanced Scheduling
How constraint-based optimization transforms manual schedule balancing — hard and soft constraints, scoring models, KPIs, and the digital twin approach.
14 min read